Cloth winding and unwinding apparatus



May 22, 1934. P. McK. THOMPSON CLOTH WINDING AND UNWINDING APPARATU$ Filed June 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 22, 1934. P. McK. THOMPSON CLOTH WINDING AND UNWINDING APPARATUS Filed June 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Thompson Patented May 22, 1934 PATENT OFFICE.

CLOTH WINDING AND UNWINDING APPARATUS Paul McKinnon Thompson, Augusta, Ga.

Application June 5, 1933, Serial No. 674,422

14 Claims.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple inexpensive apparatus that may be set on a counter or table, especially one on which a measuregraph has been mounted, in order to cooperate with the same to measure cloth while unwinding it from a bolt and Winding it up for delivery.

Until recently it has not been the practice among wholesalers to sell fractions of a bolt of cloth but because of the times it has become necessary to do this. Wherefore when a customer orders given lengths of cloth of different patterns, for example, in order to make up his stock, it becomes necessary to unwind the cloth from the bolt, measure off the length wanted, cut the measured piece from the remainder and either fold it up or wind it up. These unwinding and winding up or folding operations are quite tiresome, especially when a large number of pieces are to be cut to fill a particular order or orders. Furthermore the severed piece is not as uniformly and neatly wound or folded, when done by hand, as the customer may desire.

My invention has for an object to provide an apparatus which will eliminate the foregoing objections, and enable the operator quickly and easily to take off given lengths from the original bolts and make them up into neatly wound fractional bolts either with or without a core in the same, as may be desired.

Further it is an object to provide an apparatus for the purposes described by which the cloth, as it is pulled through the measuregraph, is not so distorted as to cause it to wind up crookedly on the winding-up board.

Further it is an object to provide an apparatus for the purposes described which has a table top over which the cloth is passed, the top having a recess to receive the measuregraph, or rather, to embrace the measuregraph so by laying ones left hand on the cloth on the table top at the rear of the nieasuregraph while winding up with the right hand the cloth may be properly tensinned to wind up smoothly and evenly.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the character described with a table top that will serve as a cutting board to support the cloth while being cut by the shears in severing the sold length from the remainder of the bolt.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, then pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention, the bolt of cloth being measured and wound up being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is an elevation of my apparatus, per se.

hinged end of the winding-up board illustrating how it may be mounted on the standard.

Figure 8 is an elevation of a modification of the invention.

Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of a spacer and stiffener strip that may be used to reinforce the core board of the full bolt when the coreboard is made of a material which will not stand end pressures without buckling or breaking.

In the drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 is the counter, table, or other support, on which the measuregraph 2 is mounted. The measuregraph is of well known construction and, per se, is not a part of my invention. For a fulldisclosure of such a measuregraph as may be used, see Patent No. 1,392,723 to Turner, October 4, 1921.

The measuregraph 2 is usually mounted on a support 4 that is fastened to the counter or table top 1. When my apparatus is not in use it is the custom to lay the bolt of cloth on the table at the left of the measuregraph, when viewed as in Figure 1, draw its edge through the measuregraph slot 3 and let the drawn ofi portions of the cloth accumulate at the right side of the measuregraph on the table until it has been cut off from the remainder of the bolt at the proper length desired and then picked up by hand.

As the measuregraph slot is located some distance above the surface of the table this operation of hand measuring or hand drawing the cloth through the measuregraph is not entirely a convenient method, and the cloth must be taken out of the measuregraph before it can be out. These objectionable features are eliminated when my invention is used.

My invention is an apparatus consisting of two sections spaced apart and connected together by a table top. These sections each comprise a baseboard 5, a front end wall 6, the top edge of which is horizontal and provided preferably with a graduated straight edge '7. The distance between the opposite extremes of the straight edges 7'? is designed to be exactly one yard and thus the straig t edges serve as a yard stick for measuring purposes when desired. Each end unit is provided with a stop 8 formed by the lower projection of the end walls or front end boards 6 below the level of the table top. Thus when the apparatus is in position on the table top, see Figure 1, pressure on the apparatus rearwardly is taken up by the projections as stops and the apparatus is held from moving backward on the table. This makes it unnecessary to clamp the apparatus to the table and leaves it readily removable, if desired.

Each of the two sections of the apparatus also includes vertical posts 9 at the front and rear which lie at right angles to the planes of the front end parts 6 and which are connected by cross bars 10, there being rear or back boards 11 secured to the posts 9 and bars 10, as best shown in Figure 1.

12 and 13 designate longitudinal front and rear braces connecting the two sections of the apparatus together and holding them spaced apart rigidly.

Secured on the cross bars 10 and bridging the gap between the two sections of the apparatus is a table top 14, the same being recessed or cut back along its front edge as at 15 to receive or embrace the measuregraph 2, the slot 3 of the measuregraph lining up with the top surface of the table 1%, so that the cloth may lie flat on the table top while it is passing through the measuregraph.

On the lefthand section of the apparatus is a dovetail slideway 16 on which a carriage is slidable. The carriage 17 includes an upright post 18 and suitable braces 25. The board 5 is provided with a pin hole 19 to receive a stop pin 20 for limiting the forward movement of the carriage to any point where it could not quickly accommodate the shortest cores or boltboards used in full bolts. v The carriage 17 is continuously urged forward by a resilient cable 21 such, for example, as is used on the well known Whitely exercising apparatus. This cable is anchored to the upright 18 and is passed through a hole in the front board 6 where it is knotted as at 23 after being passed through a button 22. In this way the cable 21 may be drawn tighter if and when desired.

The carriage 17 has a dovetail groove 24 to receive the slideway 16. The slideway is made wide enough so as to hold the upright 18 rocking thereon and the arrangement is also such as to prevent binding of the slot and slideway. To this end the resilient cable 21 is preferably attached as low as possible to the upright 18.

The front wall 6 of the left hand unit and the upright 18 are each provided with suitable antifriction and thrust bearings 26 in each of which is mounted a shaft. The shaft 2'? which is carried by the upright 18 is provided with an overbalancing weight 28 secured by a suitable set screw or in any other suitable way and it is also provided with a chuck 29 having stiff bendable fingers 30 form ng a substantial U- haped or groove member for the reception of one end of the cloth carrying bolt board 31. These boards are usually of cardboard, wood, and similar material. They are quite 'thin but. usually have enough stiifn ss to withstand considerable endwise pressure. 7

The shaft 32 which is mounted in the front board 6 of the left end section also carries a chuck 33 having stiff bendable fingers 34 and it also carries an overbalancing weight 35 similar to the weight 28. The purpose of these overbalancing weights is to hold the chucks always horizontally when they are free. This makes it easy to insert the boltboard into the chucks as it is not necessary first to line up the chucks. The boltboard 31 when in position in the chucks is held solely the endwise pressure, it being understood that the fingers 3i) and 34 are not intended to take hold of the heart with a pinch: ing or gripping action, but merely to serve as guides for inserting the board. The purpose of making the fingers bendable to permit them to be spread or pinched together by hand to accommodate them to different thicknesses of boltboards 31 which the left hand unit must take care of.

The outer end of the shaft 32 is preferably squared at 36 to receive a suitable handle (not shown) when i is desired to rewind the bolt.

The right hand of the apparatus is also provided with suitable anti-friction bearings 26 one in the front board 6 and the other end in an upright or standard secured to the baseboard 5 and suitably as at 37 designates a striker plate having a recess 33 to receive the latch bolt 45 of the latch box 4%, hereinafter referred to, and it also has a flange 39 on which the box ll may rest when in the operating position. The striker plate 37 is carried by a stub shaft to which through a bearing 26 in the front wall 6 of the right hand section of the apparatus and carries the handle 41 by which the dispensed section of the cloth is wound up into bolt form. The handle a l is designed as an overbalancing weight to keep the striker plate 3'? horizontal when. released.

42 is a stiff thin metal winding plate on w -icl the dispensed section of the bolt is wound. This plate has a front extension 43 on which is mounted the latch box l -l, the latter being of a well known type and provided with a sprin -pressed bolt 45 and a suitable button 46 to back the bolt against the spring tension. As the constructionrof the latch box and latch bolt is of a well known type, a detailed disclosure thereof is thought to be unnecessary.

The rear end of the board is also provided with an extension i? to which is secured the U- plate d8 which has an articulated shaft, the sections of which are hinged togethe r as at 49. Be-

yond the hinge the shaft may be provided with a collar 50 and a squared portion 51., the latter projecting into the correspondingly formed apertures 54: of a sleeve 53 which rotates in the bearing 26 on the post 55.

board e2 be disconnected from the standard 55.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the standard 55 is fixed in position and the board 42 is of a length to take the wi est cloth, e., the

cloth from the longest bolt board that may be used. Since the axes of rotation of the shafts 27-32 and 40-51 are held in accurate parallelism it is obvious that if the cloth is started properly on the winding plate 1-2 and the tension kept uni form by placing the hand on the cloth to the rear A cotter may be 1 passed through a hole 52 the squared end all of the measuregra-ph at a point indicated by the arrow a in Figure 1, or thereabouts, it is obvious that the cloth will wind up uniformly and smoothly as it is withdrawn from the bolt and passed over the table top 14 and through the measuregraph 2.

If, however, it is found preferable to use a windingup board 42 of substantially the same length as the boltboard being unwound from then it is an easy matter to substitute boltboards of different lengths for the board 42. In that event, however, the standard 55a will be mounted on a sliding carriage 61 and braced as at 62, the carriage 61 having a clove tail or T slide to cooperate with the dovetail or T slideway 63 as indicated in Figure 8. A resilient cable or spring member 64 similar to resilient cable 21 is used to draw the carriage 55a forwardly and if desired a back check pawl 5'7 may be provided to cooperate with a ratchet 59 as an alternate method of holding the carriage forward. D1 order that the slide 61 may not be drawn too far forward pin holes 59 may be provided in the base 5 similar to pin hole 19 hereinbefore referred to, and a stop pin 60 may be put into one or another of these holes to engage the front end of the slide 61.

In case the boltboard 31 is too flexible to withstand the end pressures when placed in the chucks 29 and 33 the same may be reinforced by slipping a narrow rigid strip of wood 65 having its ends bevelled as at 66 between the cloth and the boltboard so that the ends 66 will also enter the chucks 29 and 33 and take the strain off the boltboard.

In using my invention the bolt of cloth from which a length is to be taken is chucked into the lefthand unit. The end of the cloth is drawn over the table top 14 and through the slot 3 of the measuregraph and started on the winding up board 42. The crank 41 is then turned the number of times necessary to draw off the proper length of cloth which is indicated on the measuregraph. As before stated, by placing the left hand on the cloth to the rear of the measuregraph at approximately the point of the arrow a as much pressure may be given as necessary to retard that portion of the cloth which is not passing through the measuregraph with the same resistance as is given by the measuregraph, thereby ensuring that the cloth is wound on the bolt board 42 smoothly and evenly. When the required length has passed through the measuregraph the attendant takes a pair of scissors and cuts it off using the table top 14 as a rest. Having wound the severed portion on the winding up board 42 he then releases the latched end of the windingup board, lifts it up and withdraws the section of cloth that has been dispensed (see dotted lines in Figure 4) v If it be desired to retain, within the wound up portion of the cloth, a core, then before starting the winding on the windingup board 42 a suitable core part of cardboard, or other suitable material 67, see Figure 4, is laid on the windingup board 42 and the end of the cloth is wound around the board 42 and board 67. Then, when the severed section is removed the board 6'7 is slipped off with it.

If it be desired to rewind the cloth on the bolt for any reason the said handle 41 may be removed from the shaft 40 and placed on the shaft end 36.

By overbalancing the shafts it is possible always to keep the chucks horizontal and thus facilitate chucking the bolt. The handle 41 by overbalancing the shaft 40 keeps the striker plate 37 always horizontal so that it is a simple matter to lower the latch box 40 to the striker plate 37 and cause the latch bar 45 to perform its function properly.

In chucking the bolt, the slide 17 is pushed back by grasping the upright 18 and moving it against the tension of the cable 21, the stop 8 holding the apparatus from being pushed back on the top of the support 1.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and highly useful apparatus for the purpose described.

It is obvious that other measuring devices than that illustrated in the drawings may be used in connection with my invention since the measuring device, per se, is not a part of my invention.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, combination and arrangement of parts will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, and I desire it understood that I have illustrated a preferable embodiment of my invention but it is obvious that changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the l right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the

cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the

cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, the front walls of said sections extending below the level of said flat bottoms to serve as stops against the edge of a table or support on which the apparatus may be placed.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section includits ing a fiat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart,

the front edge of said table top being located to the rear of the vertical longitudinal plane containing said vertical front walls and recessed to fit around a measuregraph.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a fiat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top from the left hand section to the right hand section, the front walls of said sections extending below the level of said flat bottoms to serve as stops against the edge of a table or support on which the apparatus may be placed, the front edge of said table top being located to the rear of the vertical longitudinal plane containing said vertical front walls and recessed to fit around a measuregraph.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means which is carried by the left hand section comprising a shaft journalled in a bearing in the front wall of said section and carrying a chuck, a slideway on the bottom of said left hand section, a slide on the slideway and including a carriage and an upright, a shaft journalled in bearings in said upright and carrying a chuck, said shafts rotating about a common axis and adapted to receive the boltboard between them,

' and springy means to draw said slide forwardly.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a

table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the i right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means which is carried by the left hand section comprising a shaft journalled in a bearing in the front wall of said section and carrying a chuck, a slideway on the bottom of said left hand section, a side on the slideway and including a carriage and an upright, a shaft journalled in bearings in said upright and carrying a chuck, said shafts rotating about a common axis and adapted to receive the boltboard between them, springy means to draw said slide forwardly, and means to limit forward movement of said slide.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said Windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means which is carried by the left hand section comprising a shaft journalled in a bearing in the front wall of said section and carrying a chuck, a slideway on the bottom of said left hand section, a slide on the slideway and including a carriage and an upright, a shaft journalled in bearings in said upright and carrying a chuck, said shafts rotating about a common axis and adapted to receive the boltboard between them, springy means to draw said slide forwardly, said springy means comprising an elastic cable having one end secured to said slide and the other end passed through a hole in the front Wall of said left hand section and means to anchor said last named end.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means which is carried by the left hand section compris ing a shaft journalled in a bearing in the front wall of said section and carrying a chuck, a slideway on the bottom of said left hand section, a slide on the slideway and including a carriage and an upright, a shaft journalled in bearings in said upright and carrying a chuck, said shafts rotating about a common axis and adapted to receive the boltboard between them, springy means to draw said slide forwardly, and means to overbalance said shafts to keep the chucks when free in horizontal position one in register with the other.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means which is carried by the left hand section comprising a shaft journalled in a bearing in the front wall of said section and carrying a chuck, a slideway on the bottom of said left hand section, a slide on the slideway and including a carriage and an upright, a shaft journalled in bearings in said upright and carrying a chuck, said shafts rotating about a common axis and adapted to receive the boltboard between them, springy means to draw said slide forwardly, said springy means comprising an elastic cable having one end secured to said slide and the other end passed through a hole in the front wall of said left hand section and means to anchor said last named end, and means to overbalance said shafts to keep the chucks when free in horizontal position one in register with the other.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said winding up plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means carried by said right hand section comprising a standard mounted on the bottom of said right hand section and spaced from the front wall thereof, shafts rotatable in said standard and front wall in alignment and rotatable about a common axis, a windingup board having one end hingedly carried by the shaft of said standard and having a releasable latch connection with the shaft in the front wall of said right hand section.

11. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means carried by said right hand section comprising a standard on the bottom thereof, shafts rotatable in said standard and front -wall, the shaft in the standard being a sleeve having an angular hole, a windingup board having an articulated shaft extension at one end with means to fit said hole, a latch carried by the other end of said windingup board, a striker plate carried by the shaft mounted in the front wall of said right hand section to cooperate with said latch.

12. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a fiat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top from the left hand to the right hand section, said means carried by said right hand section comprising a standard on the bottom thereof, shafts rotatable in said standard and front wall, the shaft in the standard being a sleeve having an angular hole, a windingup board having an articulated shaft extension at one end with means to fit said hole, a latch carried by the other end of said windingup board, a striker plate carried by the shaft mounted in the front wall of said right hand section to cooperate with said latch, and means to lock said standard for adjustment toward and from said front wall of said right hand section.

13. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and a left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a winding up plate, means to turn said winding up plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means carried by said right hand section comprising a standard on the bottom thereof, shafts rotatable in said standard and front wall, the shaft in the standard being a sleeve having an angular hole, a winding up board having an articulated shaft extension at one end with means to fit said hole, a latch carried by the other end of said windingup board, a striker plate carried by the shaft mounted in the front wall of said right hand section to cooperate with said latch, means to lock said standard for adjustment toward and from said front wall of said right hand section, said last named means comprising a resilient member connecting said standard tosaid front wall and a pawl and ratchet connection between said standard and the bottom of said right hand section on which it is mounted.

14. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting framework having a right and left hand section spaced apart, each section including a flat bottom, a vertical front wall and a vertical cross bar, said sections being spaced apart, a table top supported on said cross bars between said right and left hand sections, means carried by said left hand section rotatably to carry a bolt of cloth on a core plate, means carried by the right hand section rotatably to carry a windingup plate, means to turn said windingup plate on its axis to wind cloth thereon from the bolt placed in said left hand sections carrying means, the cloth passing over the table top and from the left hand section to the right hand section, said means carried by said right hand section comprising a standard on the bottom thereof, shafts rotatable in said standard and front wall, the shaft in the standard being a sleeve having an angular hole, a windingup board having an articulated shaft extension at one end with means to fit said hole, a latch carried by the other end of said windingup board, a striker plate carried by the shaft mounted in the front said standard and the bottom of said right hand section on which it is mounted, and means to limit the forward movement in said standard of the right hand section.

PAUL MCKINNON THOMPSON. 

